SsangYong Korando diesel axed due to supply issues

The SsangYong Korando range just got a little bit slimmer, with the South Korean brand confirming it has axed the turbo-diesel powertrain from its medium SUV range for model-year 2023.

The 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine will no longer be offered as part of the Korando range “due to factory supply constraints,” a SsangYong Australia spokesperson told CarExpert.

That diesel unit was a pretty punchy thing, with 100kW of power and 324Nm of torque.

It was offered exclusively with a six-speed automatic transmission and on-demand all-wheel drive, and was reserved for the top-spec Ultimate grade only.

Sales figures obtained by CarExpert show the diesel accounted for a healthy share of sales in 2022.

The Ultimate diesel, listing at $41,990 before on-road costs, managed 146 sales last year, or 28 per cent of the total sales for the model range.

The remaining variants – all powered by a 120kW/280Nm, 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine – sold in the following split:

• Base model EX: 99 units
• Mid-spec ELX: 116 units
• Top-spec Ultimate: 159

In the early 2010s, SsangYong’s big brand push was for a diesel-only line-up, but times changed quickly and so did customer sentiment towards diesel fuel, and the brand killed that idea in 2013.

The mid-size SUV segment still has a few standout models offering diesel power, including the Volkswagen Tiguan, Mazda CX-5, new Mazda CX-60, Kia Sportage, and Hyundai Tucson.

In recent years, though, diesel has been on the outs. Models that have been previously offered with turbo-diesel engines, but no longer have them, include the Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan X-Trail, Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester.

MORE: Everything SsangYong Korando